Worldwide Watsons Make The Evening News

Thanksgiving at the Boys and Girls Club of Corpus Christi

This Thanksgiving, the Worldwide Watsons crew decided to pay it forward by volunteering at the 72nd annual Joe Salem Thanksgiving Dinner at the Corpus Christi Boys and Girls Club. And the news teams from KiiiTV (Channel 3) and KrisTV were there to cover the event.

Food line at the Joe Salem Thanksgiving Dinner at the Boys and Girls Club in Corpus Christi, TX

As camera-shy as we are when we’re not directing our own video (66% of us are introverts), we tended to look at and then run away from cameras, though at 1:42 you’ll see Marli checking off an item on her bucket list by sticking out her tongue on live TV. At the beginning of the video, Dad, who was innocently taking raffle tickets at the door and planning on not looking directly into the camera lens when it pointed at him, was caught off guard and, of course, looked directly into the camera lens. Mom, Rachel, and Marli are the ones fleeing the camera just behind Richard Gonzalez, the nice bearded man from Aransas Pass who was interviewed on camera. He made mention of us in his interview.

In a second segment, which is longer and talks more about the event, you see a lot more of us, especially Mom and the kids as they prep to wait tables. Right at the beginning, they’re seen putting on blue gloves. Mom is wearing a peach-colored shirt, Marli is in her Harry Potter hoodie, Josh is in a blue t-shirt, and Rachel in a black t-shirt. Dad is in the background next to the door wearing the red “USA” shirt. Andrew was out sleeping on a couch in the game area.

There was a HUGE crowd. Seating was in two groups. Dad kept checking people in and taking tickets from the moment the event began until the very end when people had to be turned away because the food was all gone. Volunteers and diners were all in good cheer and kind to one another. It was a great feeling to know that people who might not have had any Thanksgiving dinner at all this year were able to participate in all the trimmings, right down to the choice between pecan or pumpkin pie, even if it was a day early. Kids had a great time making crafts and playing games. The organizers raffled off Walmart gift cards and turkeys.

This man, who turned 60 that day, appeared in full outrageous Texas garb, complete with a “big as Texas” blue sombrero and TexMex cowboy boots with toes that curled up about a foot and a half from the floor. He was a hoot! Oh, and, in case he’s reading this right now, that lady in the pink shirt sitting at the table wanted your phone number.

Mom and the Man in the Big Blue Hat at the Joe Salem Thanksgiving Dinner at the Boys and Girls Club in Corpus Christi, TX

What did you and your family do to “pay it forward” this Thanksgiving? We’d love to hear about your favorite charity or cause in the comments!